Reports Ric Bucher:
So there you have it, the Nets could strengthen their chances of landing Dwight Howard by figuring out a way to acquire Stephen Jackson.
Dealing for Jackson should not be all that difficult. The 6-8 forward is signed through 2012-13 and is owed a little over 10 million next season. And while the Bucks remain in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference, I’d venture to guess Jackson does not factor into their plans longterm.
The Nets have a number of expiring contracts they could use to deal and a copious amount of draft picks as well.
It should be noted, however, that simply trading for Stephen Jackson does not solve the problem of finding a deal that will make Orlando pull the trigger on Dwight Howard.
It’s also unclear how big of a factor landing Jackson would even be to the ultimate goal of getting Dwight Howard, but if playing with Jackson means that much to Dwight, it would only give Dwight further incentive to want to sign with New Jersey Brooklyn should he make it to the off-season without being moved.
Why exactly Dwight wants to play with Jackson remains to be seen, but off the court incidents aside, Jackson does possess the type of toughness that could factor heavily in, dare I say it, a championship run.
